Method of making pipe couplings



Feb. 6, 1923.

G. E. MlRFlELD METHOD OF MAKING PIPE COUPLINGS F iled June 27, 1921 21/ i 27% Q 24 E13 3. If. 6.

INVENTOR GEDRGE E. EEEBFIELD, 01" YOUNGSTO'WN, QHIQ.

METHOD ItTIiKIFElL-TPIPE COUPLINGS.

Application June 21, 1921. Serial No. 480,581.

To oZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE E. Minrintn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented anew and useful Improvement in. Methods of Making Pipe Couplings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to pipe couplings and method of making same. The problem of making pipe couplings a reasonable cost is not an easy one, and many methods have been used heretofore. One of the usual methods is to take a strip or skelp of muck bar iron or puddle iron and cut it into lengths slightly greater than the circumference of the proposed coupling. This iron is then bent and welded on a mandrel, and the ends are then chamfered and threaded. The loss in this method is high, due to the frequency of poor welds, and may run as high as 20 per cent in small sizes. Further- .more, it requires comparatively expensive material, and the operations during the process of manufacture require a greater amount of labor and handling than in my method presently to be described.

Various other methods have been used, such as making malleable castings and threading and tapping these castings, and also drawing the same from sheet material. Another method is that of cutting seamless tubing into pieces and threading the pieces. Still another is that of drilling couplings from solid bars.

An object of my invention is to provide a coupling which may be inexpensively produced from relatively inexpensive material in such manner as to effect a maximum saving of material, and which will be substantially uniform in structure and appearance, and will therefore better withstand the wear and tear to which such couplings are subjected.

My invention relates also to a process by which such a coupling may be made.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate the article and some of the steps in the process for making the same, in which- Figure 1 shows a section of a blank usually of disk form;

Figure 2 shows a sectional elevation of the blank at the end of the first drawing step;

F igure 3 shows a sectional. elevation of the blank at the end of the second drawing p;

Figure lshows a sectional elevation of that art of Figure 3 below the line IV- V;

Figure 5 shows a sectional elevation of Figure I} after the first drawing step;

Figure 6 shows the lank of Figure 5 with bottom punched out; and igure 7 represents a sectional elevation of a coupling.

Referring to the drawings, a blank 8, usually in the form of a disk, is subjected to a drawing operation, as a result of which the blank takes the form shown in Figure 2, having what may be termed a body portion 9 and a bottom 10. The blank of Fig ure 2 is then subjected to a further drawing step, resulting in the member shown in Figure 8, having a body portion 11 and a bottom portion 12.

The body member 11 is made of sufficient length to constitute a coupling. when the member shown in Figure 3 is severed along the line lV-TV. The member 11 may then be threaded, as shown in Figure. 7, by running the threads 6 and 7 all the way through the coupling, or otherwise. The member 12 is shown in Figure 4. This member is subjected to a drawing step and assumes the configuration shown in Figure 5, wherein it has a body portion 13 and a bottom 14. The bottom l t of the member shown in Figure 5 is punched. out and the member 13 is threaded and constitutes a second coupling similar to the coupling made from the 1nember 11 but of smaller diameter.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my process effects a great saving over the usual method of making couplings. By my process the disk may be blanked out of a strip material which has greater tensile strength than wrought iron, which is the metal usually used heretofore, and therefore'my coupling may be made of lighter material, thus efl'ecting a considerable saving in metal. My invention affords a fur ther saving in that the couplings may be drawn from cold metal, and therefore the expense of heating the metal to welding temtri X .H M 4 1 e meesstiu to have an (jijcllhtlll ioi eecn 0i ,2" .N- 1 e i 1'. sis eyelet-ens used in the manmacture oi welded couol it will. be evident that advantages resulting e i oi? the ocess and the relatively hem; nmtetial which may be used in making couplings unitor 'i sti'ei'igth.

lln some instuices, may he found desirable to anneal the partially completed articles. if so, this may done at any point in the method above described.

Vdhile I have illustrated and described a certain sequence of steps in the process, and have indicated certain kinds of material to be employed, 1 Wish it to he understood that from the spirit of my invention.

1 claim: 1. The method of making couplings,

I which consists in drawing a sleeve of the desired length and diameter from the coupling nmtei'iul, severin portion of the sleeve with the hot attached, and drewing 2L second coupling from said portion, substantially as descrihen.

2. the method of melting couplings, the steps consis in drawing a sleeve of the desired let (,1. and diameter from suitable material, Gil'lilfj; poition ot the sleeve with the bottom attached, drawing said portion into cup shape, removing the bottom ot' the cup, and for second coupling from the remaining portion, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

s ne-non n. EHRFIELD, 

